Strange sidache

[lilscamper]

I recently completed Ironman CDA. About an hour into the bike I developed a pretty bad sideache - the type that you would normally expect during a run. It stayed with me for the following 5 hours on the bike and a few minutes into the run. Then I was finally able to get ride of it. Post race my stomache was actually tender to touch. Ever since IM I develop this same sideache every time that I run. I went out for 6 last night and 13 this morning- had it the whole run. Right now, just sitting here, my stomache is still tender. The pain is about two inches to the right of my belly button. I can't figure out what's causing it. Anyone out there had similar long lasting pain? I'm wondering if I pulled a muscle during IM from having the pain for 5 hours. Can anyone help???

[Nanci]

Is it at the level of your belly button, or higher or lower? Seems too low for diaphragm. If anterior- that's roughly where your appendix is- but I don't think it could go so long without something major happening if that was it. There's nothing else there. Terminal ileum. Psoas muscles, but they would be more toward your spine. Abdominal muscles? Do you feel it when you swim? How could you strain an ab cycling??

After a long ride I feel like all my abdominal muscles are sore from breathing- but that goes away in a day or two. (Like that whole middle third of my abd, side to side).

I don't know...But congratulations on IM CDA!!

[lilscamper]

Thanks! I don't know how I strained it. I'm wondering if I drank too much at the beginning of the bike and . . . . I just don't know. it's maybe 1/2 inch higher than my belly button.

[KnottedYet]

I'm thinking psoas, too. If there's a big ol' shortening of the psoas (which I guess could come from a strain biking or swimming) it can form a knot, which has felt pretty superficial and anterior on some of my patients. Sometimes it can get tight enough that a patient can "feel" it when they lie on their stomach on a hard floor.

But tender to the touch isn't something I've ever encountered. Could rectus abdominus do that? Aorta? (naw, wrong spot...)

[Grog]

Congrats on IM-CDA!!!

When I had my ovarian cysts I first noticed them when running, walking (fast) with high-heel boots and doing aerobics. Started with a stitch-like pain. Ended up in excruciating pain a few months later. A year after having them removed I could feel one again every time I was running. It didn't like the bumping...

Differential diagnosis was of course appendix and gallbladder (sp?) stones.

Have it investigated, who knows...

[btchance]

I frequently have the same thing, same general location. Mine seems to be due to tight abdominal muscles, and it is tender to the touch. What I was told to do, and it seems to work, is breathe into your upper chest, move the breathe down into your belly (so it will extend and help stretch it out), then breathe out twice. Keep repeating until it goes away, and sometimes I will do it as sort of a preventative thing. I hope this makes sense, and that it helps you some. And congratulations on finishing the Ironman!!! That's awesome!